Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy
Geralyn Lucas
(Guest Reviewer - Andy Behrman)
2005 St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 0312334451

A soulful, surprising coming of age journey by a dynamo who used her own adversity as a platform for examining issues all young women face.

Having finished journalism school & landed her dream job at age 27, the last thing Geralyn Lucas expects to hear is a breast cancer diagnosis. She decides to go public with her disease despite fears about the backlash at work, & her bold choices in treatment are irreverent & uplifting.

Geralyn recovers from her mastectomy & chemo & has a baby in the same hospital where she was treated for cancer. What could have been a huge negative for this young cancer survivor became the impetus to examine her own sexuality & burgeoning womanhood.

Virtually nothing has been written for young women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy also deals with the broader issue of self-acceptance that anyone grappling with questions of illness, self-image & sexuality can identify with.

Guest Reviewer Andy Behrman writes:

I'm the author of a memoir, Electroboy, chronicling my battle with bipolar disorder & my experience with electroshock, & I thought I had been extremely open & candid about my experiences until I read Geralyn Lucas' account of her battle with breast cancer. She is about as frank as an author can get -- on a topic that isn't particularly glamorous -- yet she's never shocking.

I started reading Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy on a cross-country flight, & sobbed all the way until I picked up my bags in Los Angeles.

Geralyn Lucas' account is not just about breast cancer, survival, recovery & hope -- it's about living every day to the fullest -- & it's never for one second cliche or “corny”.

Her voice is sharp, witty & quick -- & you're cheering her on every step of the way -- laughing & crying the entire time.

It's about love & relationships -- & I came home to my wife with a brand new attitude & understanding of our relationship.

Geralyn Lucas is a brilliant woman (& writer) but most impressing as a loving human being who fights the most intense battle with such unusual courage -- through a combination of intelligence & humor.
(01/02/05)

Guest Reviewer - Andy Behrman
2005©Andy Behrman